


Kaleidoscope Surprise

by minispice



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Childhood Friends, Circus, Comfort, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Light Angst, Mutual Pining, Over the moon, References to Depression, Romance, Songfic, Sylvianne, Wonderful, misfortune
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-12
Updated: 2020-11-12
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:48:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27514078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/minispice/pseuds/minispice
Summary: After one too many misfortunes, Marianne decides to run away to the circus. In doing so she ends up running into someone she never thought she'd ever see again. Before, she always faced every hardship alone, but now... Who knows, life is full of surprises after all.(Inspired by the song "Wonderful" from Over the Moon. Amazing movie, go watch it ❤)
Relationships: Marianne von Edmund & Sylvain Jose Gautier
Comments: 2
Kudos: 6





	Kaleidoscope Surprise

**Author's Note:**

  * For [LaceKyoko1138](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LaceKyoko1138/gifts).



> For my friend Lace. Never forget that you are wonderful!!! Thank you for getting me into this ship!!

* * *

Nothing much happened in the small town Marianne grew up in. She lived on a equally small ranch with her adoptive family, and never really talked to anyone else. She spent most of her days with the family horse; Dorte, talking to him whenever she felt lonely. Of course many townsfolk thought her strange but she never paid them any mind.

She was a quiet girl who enjoyed her quiet days until fate brought her a new friend. A young boy who had a wonderful smile and such striking hair that reminded her of the colors created by the setting sun. He had snuck into the stable one day, accidentally surprising her during her daily visits. She was startled but truth be told there was something about him that warmed it's way into her young heart, and the two became fast yet unusual friends.

That is until she turned 13, when everything started going wrong.

The first of everything was the town having trouble financially. It was subtle at first, but things started to go down hill over time, some businesses closed, prices changed. It was slight but it was enough to change the previous friendly mentality the town had.

When she turned 14, she noticed her dear friend was coming by less and less, and she missed his company dearly. The last time she ever saw him was in the stable at midnight, covered in welts and bruises, asking her to come with him. Something inside her told her to accept, but she was so scared she declined; a decision that haunted her everyday after. Following that night he disappeared without a trace, his family moved away soon after that.

Various misfortunes of different magnitudes kept happening as she grew up, but the tipping point was her 18th birthday. The family horse had died suddenly out of nowhere and she was convinced it was her fault. Her father tried his best to console her but she refused to listen to any sort of logic or reason, she was so sure of the fact that she was cursed somehow, and finally did what she should have done long ago. That night she packed up her things and ran away, hitching a ride on a train that was right by her hometown. 

-

  
By the time she ended up in the next couple towns over, she had absolutely no idea how far away she was from home, and that was a good thing in her eyes. Maybe now everyone could get back to a normal life. She yawned after hopping off of the train car, rolling her neck to help the predictable stiffness it had from sleeping on the hard floor. Her stomach shouted at her from hunger since it had been a bit since she had a actual real meal. Small snacks along the way could only so much.

Marianne sighed, pulling her bag over her shoulders and made her way into the town close by. By comparison it was much bigger than what she was used to, there were so many people everywhere. It was so lively! Honestly while it was a bit dizzying, she appreciated the many sounds buzzing around her, as it drowned out her own thoughts so she wouldn't focus on the bad ones that had been plaguing her, at least for right now. It was a small respite, but she gladly took it.

She found a tiny sandwich vendor and ate outside, away from everyone else. Everything about this $2 sandwich tasted so good she was completely oblivious to the stranger who was approaching her from the side. 

A young looking, green haired man with glasses smiled at her as he reached into his bag, pulling out a piece of paper. 

"Oh!" Marianne jumped in her seat, he startled her more that she would like to admit. She swallowed the bite she had just taken, and looked at him with wary eyes. "Um...hello..."

"Hey there miss! Sorry, didn't mean to give you a fright! I just wanted to give you this!" He chuckled bashfully and handed her the paper, which she took slowly after staring at him for a couple of seconds.

The man grinned satisfied, "It looked like you needed a pick me up, that's all! I gotta go pass the rest of these out, have a good one!" 

Before she could even say anything or pass it back he ran off, just like that. Marianne set down her sandwich and looked the sheet up and down, since she had it in her hands what was the harm?

It was a bright orange and yellow piece of paper with a illustration on it that was quite gorgeous. As she continued on, reading the text on it made her eyes light up.

"A...a circus?" She had only been to one before, when she was little. Before everything went south. She couldn't really remember the details but she never forgot the pure joy she felt looking at all the lights and animals. She was apprehensive of course, nervous about being close to so many people in a enclosed space, but...in a new place with new people...maybe things would be different. 

She nodded to herself, making up her mind. It was a little bit cliche she had to admit, being a runaway setting out to join the circus, but she needed this. With a few more bites she finished her sandwich and headed on her way, following the the instructions on the paper to her new home.

-

It wasn't long before she arrived, identified by colorful lanterns strewn about leading people right too it. It was set up on a huge, empty spot of land, filled with balloons and cheer, cotton candy sugar crystals filling the air. Marianne took a deep breath, inhaling everything in. She felt...good about this decision, which worried her given her track record, but it didn't last very long, as she was quickly swept up in the commotion.

She walked around the grounds with wonder in her eyes, taking in all the sights, seeing all sorts of people of different ethnicities, heights, and looks. She walked up to a regal looking, though rather short, silver haired woman with a top hat; which usually meant that they were the ringmaster. 

Marianne inwardly chuckled. ' _It looks so goofy, hee.'_

She coughed into her hand quietly and bravely tapped the woman's shoulder, who turned to look at her with piercing, lavender eyes.

"U-um, excuse me I'm new here...but I'm a little lost..." she blushed ever so slightly, knowing it was a terrible lie. The woman stared at her in silence for a bit, causing Marianne to sweat.

_'Oh no what was I thinking...what if she calls the police?? What if-'_

The woman hummed to herself, pausing for a few seconds before pointing to her left. "Talk to the man next to the popcorn machine over there, he'll show you around. Our show doesn't start until midnight so get yourself settled in."

Marianne nodded with restrained glee, bowing her head. "Thank you ma'am!" She said before shuffle skipping in the given direction. 

A voluptuous woman walked up to the ringmaster as they both watched the strange, blue haired girl dart away. She put her hands on her hips and pursed her lips. "Really now Edie? You're not gonna do a background check on her? What if she's a-I don't know- a murderer?"

Edie chuckled, shaking her head. "Honestly Thea, the things you say. A murderer? That timid mouse? She couldn't hurt a fly even if she tried. Also if I remember correctly, you stabbed a man before coming here, did you not?"

"You know what, fair." The other woman sighed, shrugging her shoulders. "Why would you send her to him though of all people? There's plenty others that are better for the job." 

Edie smirked slightly, flipping a few locks of hair off of her shoulder. "Simple. If she can handle his nonsense, then she'll fit in just fine. Plus...she looks like a nice girl. He's been a little too mopey for my taste since Ingrid dumped him."

The both of them laughed and giggled like gossiping schoolgirls, walking back to their stations together to finish setting up.

-

  
Marianne made her way to the man that was pointed at to her, gripping her bag as a security blanket. His back was turned to her with his head down, it looked like he was fiddling with some kind of instrument. She hated being a bother but she was feeling uncharacteristically brave today, given the circumstances. After taking a deep breath she tapped his shoulder twice. "Um...excuse me, I'm new here was told I should talk to you?

The man perked up at being summoned and turned around with a speech he most certainly had prepared and ready to go.

"Why yes, yes you should! You're talking to the right person my dear! After all, no one here knows this place better than me- ...Marianne??!"

His eyes opened wide at the beautiful woman before him, her sky blue hair glowing against the lights around them, her face resembling a gorgeous porcelain doll. His mouth never closed; the words literally stolen out of his throat. He dropped, what turned out to be a ukulele on the ground which let out a comical **_-twang!-_** sound, though his gaze never left her, not even once.

In turn Marianne gasped, bringing her hands up to her lips, feeling a warmness rise in her cheeks. She felt her heart race ever so slightly as a spark ignited between the two or them, her dark eyes meeting his bright ones, a true anime moment. 

"My goodness... _Sylvain_ is that you?" She whispered breathily, taking a tentative step forward. 

There was no way her childhood friend was right here, right now, in the circus of all things, right? The odds would be astronomically impossible, and Marianne didn't have a very good relationship with Lady Luck given her past, and yet here he was; Sylvain Jose Gautier in the _(extremely good looking)_ flesh.

"Marianne! By the gods it is you!" A smile that shined as brilliant as the sun beamed across Sylvain's face as he stepped forward, scooping his dear friend into a hug who happily accepted and returned it. They both found themselves laughing as he picked her up and spun her around once before setting her back down on her feet. To his ears; Marianne's laughter sounded like heavenly song birds filling the sky, which he honestly didn't realize he was missing so much, he was afraid he was going to cry on the spot, but he refused to let any tears fall down on his watch.

As she touched back down on the ground Marianne composed herself, still smiling slightly however as she shyly tucked a loose strand of hair back behind her ear. She took a few steps back on instinct, knowing she shouldn't be too close but she felt so inexplicably drawn to Sylvain like she was the earth and he was the sun, all she wanted to do was be closer to him.

Noticing he was still hanging onto her hand he let go immediately, using said hand to rub the back of his head sheepishly, while the other one reached down to grab the fallen instrument. After reattaching it to the straps across his shoulder, he faced her head on, crossing one leg over the other.

"Wow, pardon my french Marianne but what the hell are you doing here of all places? Obviously I'm stoked to see you but still what the hell!" By his tone it was clear he was joking, something she missed so dearly as well during her life; well needed levity.

She gathered courage and puffed up her chest, gripping her bag while rocking on her heels. "Well... I've decided that this is going to be my new home now...um...because, um.." she faltered slightly at the end but shook her head, returning back to the moment at hand. "I could say the same thing to you Sylvain. How in the world did you end up in the circus?"

Sylvain closed his eyes and loaded up the charm, flipping his bangs to the side as he leaned back onto the popcorn machine all cool like. He shrugged his shoulders and glanced at her with lidded eyes; this move was known Mr. One Cool Dude despite it having only a 50% success rate.

"Ehhhh i wouldn't really call us a circus per say... We're more like uhhh, a... traveling performance group!" He grinned, really proud of himself for that one.

Right then a large, muscular man with curly blonde hair walked past Sylvain at the exact moment to interject, "No, we're definitely a circus!" before continuing on his way, oblivious of his comical timing.

Sylvain's face fell as he quickly turned to give the bigger man the stink eye, while Marianne couldn't help but giggle lightly at his attempted bravado behind her hand. She could feel the beginning of a small smile starting to form again and took another step closer.

"It's okay...I quite like the circus, given that they...you know... follow guidelines and treat animals correctly..." she trailed off at the end while rubbing her arm, realizing how awkward it was to bring that up now so out of the blue. Marianne had to stick to her morals though, since she would hate to find out that she settled on her new life to be in a animal abusing circus. She winced as she reluctantly looked Sylvain in the eye, dreading the answer.

Immediately Sylvain put his hands up and flashed her a reassuring smile, dropping the stud act. "Hey hey no worries there! The big guy that walked past us, that's Raph. He's the best animal tamer I've ever seen. The animals here have nothing but love and respect for the guy. We have a strict no whip policy here!"

Marianne let out a huge sigh of relief, but stopped when she spotted a peculiar sight across from them. She lifted her finger to point discreetly and spoke in a hushed tone. 

"Then...what about them?"

"Who?" Sylvain turned his head to follow her point which led to a small pink haired girl and a tall, tan young man, both dressed in revealing clothing, each holding multiple whips between them. 

Sylvain huffed in amusement. "Oh them! Their whole act revolves around whipping-uh each other!!! That's their shtick, its very sexy, the crowd loves it. There's fire and drums and...anyway-"

Fearing he was scaring her off, judging by her puzzled expression, an idea popped into his head, and it wasn't the popcorn machine behind him.

"Ooo- Speaking of animals, follow me!"

Beaming widely and feeling confident he gently grabbed her hand to lead her to a open stable. Which as predicted caused Marianne's eyes to light up genuinely, a small gasp escaping from her lips.

"Oh!!"

There were a few dogs, cats and other assorted animals hanging around outside, but the real stars that caught her eyes were the gorgeous horses before her. Despite her pain she couldn't help but smile at the beautiful creatures. One was all snow white with stunning golden hair, and the other was a grey-blue stallion with edgy black hair that covered one of its eyes. It honestly looked like a unfortunate comb over. Sylvain walked up to the edgy looking one with a smile and rubbed its nose, half turning to look at Marianne. 

"This is my horse, Felix. I know he looks like the grumpy type, and to that I say he absolutely is. His attitude ain't all that either." Without looking he yanked his hand away before Felix chomped down. Sylvain laughed, still focused on Marianne. "He's a stinker! There's a reason why I named him Felix."

"Oh?" She inquired honestly bewildered at this seemingly unflappable young man. Nothing seemed to phase him. "What would that be?"

He pointed to the area to his left nearly too swiftly, his smile turning into a shit eating grin. "It's cuz of that scary lookin guy, right over there, Felix! He's our resident sword swallower, the ladies _love_ him. "

As if he could hear them despite being a ways away, he shot them a dirty glare sharp enough to kill someone before returning back to cleaning his swords. Marianne pressed her fingers to her lips, slightly unnerved.

"Oh my. They do look startlingly alike..."

" _No we don't._ " He grumbled from across the lot, the irritation clear in his voice, along with a air of exhaustion. The same kind of exhaustion one would have after dealing with a child everyday, and with that Marianne immediately understood their dynamic. Horse Felix whinnied in response, nodding his head while stomping his right hoof on the ground.

"Oooh, sorry Felix! Looks like it's three to one on that one! Oop!" Sylvain laughed, squatting suddenly as he finished his sentence as if it was a part of routine, just barely missing a knife that was purposely launched at his head.

Marianne jumped back slightly in surprise, placing her hand on her heart. She looked down then up at Sylvain as he stood back up still smiling widely. 

"My goodness! Is it always this...dangerous?" She questioned, her eyebrows upturned in worry.

Sylvain gave Horse Felix a good scratch under his chin before turning back to Marianne, his sunset hair flowing and framing his face so perfectly that Marianne almost felt embarrassed just looking at him. What a hunk.

He chuckled, "Naw, everyone here is harmless really. Don't let Felix fool you though, he is a huge ass. But underneath that huge ass lies a tiny ass of gold. You didn't hear that from me though!"

" _Snnrk_!" She couldn't help but snort at that, though it was a weird feeling. Letting herself feel so much joy in such a short amount of time. In the back of her mind she wondered when was the last time she felt like this...? She didn't want to answer that.

She coughed into her fist and straightened herself up, proceeding to awkwardly gesture to the white horse next to Horse Felix.

"Ahem, um, and who is this cutie pie?"

Sylvain sighed heavily as he hugged the horse's neck, rubbing his cheek up and down her mane. "Oh this one right here? We call her Ingrid. A real heart-breaker this gal, the one that got away."

Marianne stood there in silence, raising her finger to object but quickly recalled it. Judging from that fact he was the type to name his horse after his coworker, she figured this must be a similar case. Or at least she hoped to the gods it was.

"Uh, I assume you mean the actual Ingrid...whoever she is?"

Sylvain stood up straight and reached into his pocket, pulling out a sugar cube. He fed Horse Ingrid with a solemn smile, petting her mane as she happily scooped it up from his hand. "Yeah...she broke up with me around two months ago but it's all good. She used to work here but she found someone new-someone good for her and left, so you don't need to worry."

Marianne raised a brow and inched closer to the horses, tilting her head lightly to look at Sylvain. "Worry?"

His eyes opened wide at his slip up and shoved his hand back into his pocket to pull out more sugar cubes. He laughed nervously and held out his hand, desperate to move the conversation along. He did **not** just assume she was into him! ' _Bad Sylvain, bad!'_

"Uh, hey! Would you like to feed her?" Horse Felix whinnied abruptly. "Oh and also Felix as well?"

"Ugh." Human Felix groaned and left the stables, grumbling to himself about numerous things that no one could really hear. They ignored him.

Marianne's eyes glimmered at the offer. "Really? May I?" 

Sylvain nodded and poured the cubes into her hands, and watched as she lovingly fed the horses as if they were her own. He knew she was great with animals, horses in particular, so it was a blessing that she stumbled upon their little circus. Unbeknownst to her, Raphael needed a helper around here, and she certainly fit the bill. As Marianne stroked Felix's mane and feed him the sugar cube with ease, he felt his cheeks begin to get warm. She really was so beautiful...but surely she had someone somewhere waiting for her, because that's how things were on this bitch of an earth.

Sylvain realized he was staring just a bit too intensely, but just as he was about to turn away, he spotted a shine shimmering off of her cheek. Was she...crying?

He reached his hand out worriedly, stopping right before touching her shoulder, curling his fingers back in hesitation. "Marianne?" 

She jumped, proceeding to immediately wipe her tears before turning to face him with a pained smile. "Um, where to next Sylvain? We still need to finish your tour."

Offering her a comforting grin he nodded, "Yeah, okay. Follow me." Of course he was still worried but carried on for Marianne's sake. After all why would she spill any emotions to him? They were practically strangers but...he hated seeing her so upset, and to see her hide her pain as well? It was something he was all too familiar with, and he wouldn't wish it on anyone, especially not Marianne. 

The tour continued and Sylvain led her through the ups and downs of the fair grounds, showing her the numerous games they had available. His favorite was the classic ring toss, taking it upon himself to demonstrate his self proclaimed skill. He strolled up to the counter and knocked twice on the wood, causing the person running the booth to turn around. 

Sylvain grinned, looking back at Marianne while raising his eyebrows in a goofy manner, making her giggle. Success! Satisfied he turned back, handing the vendor a dollar. 

"Hey there, Linny. One ring please, because that's all I need." Looking back to wink at her. Marianne giggled again, covering her lips.

Linny's face was as flat as a board, highly unamused by Sylvain's antics. "Hello Sylvain. You know you don't have to pay for games anymo-"

"One. Ring. **Please**. **_Linhardt._** " Sylvain spoke through gritted teeth, still holding the dollar intently in Linhardt's face. 

He sighed tiredly, "Fine, whatever, here's your one ring. Knock yourself out." Tossing the toy ring haphazardly onto the counter, and walked away to the back of the booth. 

Sylvain gestured to Marianne to come closer, which she did, scooting off a little bit to the side. He held the ring up to his eye level, and got into a way too serious pose for just a ring toss.

"Do you know the secret to beating these games Marianne?" 

"Nuh uh." She shook her head no, hands still holding onto her bag. 

"Most people don't realize that there's a science to it, it's very deceptively difficult! There's wind speed, math and so many other factors to consider." 

She was sure it was nonsense but was entranced none the less. She nodded her head for him to continue, staying silent in anticipation. 

"It took many years for me to master this, so prepared to be amazed Marianne! Watch this!"

He got into another ridiculous pose and wound himself up, getting ready to throw. Marianne found herself holding her breath, watching the ring like a hawk.

" _Hup!_ " He gently tossed the ring into the air, landing it directly onto the middle ring, after all that build up too. It was so incredibly anticlimactic but she recognized his effort into cheering her up. She clapped politely as he bowed dramatically, really chewing the scenery. 

"Thank you, thank you! I'm here everyday!"

"How unfortunate for the rest of us. Are you done now?"

Sylvain inwardly scowled at Linhardt who ruined the moment by coming back quicker than Sylvain expected. He was so sure he had gone back there to nap, looks like he wasn't so lucky this time.

He cleared his throat and tapped the counter, gesturing over to Marianne. "Excuse me sir, but I believe the lady gets to pick a prize! Which ever one you want Marianne, it's yours!"

She couldn't help but let out a small squeak of delight, gazing at the prize wall that was just jam packed full of all sorts of plushies. Perhaps it was a little childish, but she absolutely adored stuffed animals. They brought her many a comfort over the years, and regretted not grabbing one before she left home. 

She scanned over the prize wall before stopping at the perfect one, lifting her finger to point at it. "That one, please!" 

Nodding while yawning, Linhardt retrieve the plush and handed it to her before shooing the both of them away. Marianne took the plush into her arms and gave it an instinctive squeeze before hugging it close.

 _'Damn, she's so cute...'_ Sylvain thought, blushing at the adorable display before him. He cleared his throat. "Why did you pick that little guy? I coulda sworn the unicorn would have been the popular pick." He reached over to pinch its cheeks, feeling the serotonin rush through him.

"Oh...um..." She held the plush out in front of her, beaming at it with a tinge of pink practically glowing off of her cheeks. She had picked a cute little red fox with its tongue sticking out, stuck in a permanent charming wink. Marianne brought it back to her chest and held it securely while looking down at the ground. "It's silly but...I picked it because it looked like you." She looked up at him shyly while feeling bold at the same time.

Sylvain bristled and instantly blushed, his heart really racing now. He grinned at her from the side and rubbed the back of his head, suddenly overcome with a bashfulness he wasn't used to. This girl didn't know what she was doing to him. 

He looked down to see Fox Sylvain planted right in between Marianne's bountiful boobies and laughed to himself.

"That's one lucky fox!"

Flashing her a exaggerated wink, she giggled again as they continued throughout the grounds, treasuring each others company.

-

  
Before either of them knew it, or realized it, the hours of the day swiftly passed by, the sky getting darker as they wrapped up the rest of the tour. As they approached the big top tent, Sylvain couldn't help but shake the unease that he felt when he saw Marianne cry earlier. He so desperately wanted her to talk to him about it, but had no idea where to even begin. Similarly, Marianne could tell that he was carrying around demons of his own, but spent the entirety of their day together trying to make her happy. It made her feel incredibly guilty. 

As they walked inside the spacious tent, Marianne gasped in wonder. Even though it was empty at the moment it was still a grand sight to behold. In the middle of the ring was a pole that had some kind of rigging mechanism in the form of a lift, which she assumed was a easier way to get people up to the top of the tent for acts or maintenance and what not. There were a few lanterns around hanging on the walls of the tent that were dimly lit, but other than that it was dark and silent. 

In front of them was a set up with a bunch of dials and knobs on it, as well as wires coming out of sides going every which way but making sure to avoid the main area. Marianne marveled at the display since compared to her last visit to one, circuses nowadays really stepped it up on the technology side of things. Not to the point of becoming too mechanical, but just enough to help enhance the experience. 

Sylvain walked up to the control panel; tapping it twice before leaning against it with his arms crossed. "This bad boy is our new setup our Managers Hubes and his husband, Ferdinand scored for us. It cost us a pretty penny but they were dead on with saying it would help make the shows better, our turn outs have been better than ever! They even lent us one of their techies to help us during our on season, without their help it would be a bitch to learn. They're er...uh..some chick from the group where Hubes' boss works...don't tell them I forgot their name please!" He put his hands together in a mock praying pose, grinning sheepishly.

Marianne sighed with amusement at first before returning to a puzzling look, "Don't worry, you're secret is safe with me. But...pardon me asking... _Hubes?_ "

"Oh duh!" He slapped his forehead non-seriously. "His full name is Hubert. It hates it when I call him Hubes, and only barely tolerates Hubie, so honestly you can take your pic! He's kind of a hard ass, but he and his husband are pretty cool. They've been with us for about uhhhhh- a couple seasons now! I forgot the exact amount but you get the gist of it!"

She nodded, "I'll be sure to keep that in mind." There were so many people that worked here, honestly it was quite exciting! Throughout the day she made sure to make mental notes of everyone's nicknames, locations, and people's job details. Everyone except...

"Um...Sylvain, may I ask you something?" She looked up at him with those big eyes of hers, putting down her bag and Fox Sylvain gently near the control panel. He smiled warmly as their eyes met, nodding softly. "You may."

Twiddling her thumbs, she scooted closer to him. Tilting her head down and to the side as she moved through her words. "You gave me a tour of everything, detailing what everyone does here but...you never mentioned your job."

Sylvain chuckled at her question, standing up from leaning back while settling his hands on his hips. "Oh that's easy! I run the popcorn machines here and sell snacks! That's all."

Marianne wasn't buying it.

"Sylvain..." 

He winced. _'Oooh...busted!'_

Chuckling again as he rubbed the back of his head, he took off his ukulele and gave it a light strum in one fell swoop. "Sorry, sorry, force of habit. The others don't like to bring it up cause they pity me, but I'm used to it." He strummed again, playing absentminded chords intermittently. Marianne couldn't quite place it, but something about them sounded... sad. He continued. "I actually used to be the equivalent of a half-time show entertainer, for years. I would play my ukulele here and ride around on Felix, serenading the audience earning hella tips till..." The strumming stopped. "There was a accident and I ended up breaking my leg. Safe it say it put a end to my uh, horse riding career. Edelgard put me in charge of snacks after I healed up enough, but she still won't clear me for my old act for another year, and there is **no** changing her mind, believe you me."

Marianne's heart felt for him, and without thinking she reached out to touch his shoulder, gently squeezing it. "Oh Sylvain, I'm so sorry. That must have been so upsetting..."

He shrugged his shoulders and rolled his head, ending with a sincere smile tossed Marianne's way. "Ah you know...it's okay. Safety first and all. This circus is like my family, and I'm sure it hurt them just as bad. But hey- It's not as terrible as it sounds. Really!" 

She returned with a understanding smile of her own, still not buying it but decided to leave it at that. Realizing her hand was still touching him she yoinked it back, using it to rub her arm awkwardly. Keeping his hands on his instrument, Sylvain turned to face her head on, gulping slightly before proceeding with his question. "Now Marianne, it's my turn to ask you something, If I may?"

She nodded with a hum of approval. "You may."

"You've been a hometown ranch girl all your life. What in the world made you leave all that behind?"

At that Marianne's face instantly fell, and instinctively began wringing her hands together. After nearly keeping her mind off it the whole day, the pain resurfaced. It wasn't Syvlain's fault, he didn't know how heavy her life turned out after he left. Her heart ached as she clenched her eyes shut, taking deep breaths in order to attempt to calm herself down. She didn't want to ruin this...she didn't want to scare him away. But he had opened himself to her after she pried so...

"I...they're...they're better off without me..." She whispered, looking down at the ground, still intertwining her hands tightly. "Something happened and I...I just couldn't stay..."

Sylvain's composure changed as he saw her reaction, instantly feeling guilty. Judging by her small moment at the stables, he could put two and two together. _'Idiot!'_

He wanted to reach out and comfort her as she did for him, embrace her, and pull her close, but he wasn't the best at handling other peoples emotions all that well. Definitely better than he used to be that was for sure, but he still needed some well needed polish. He started to extend his hand- but the pulled it back, readying his ukulele instead.

"Hey! Uh, wanna hear a song I dedicated to a pet lizard I had when I was a kid?"

"What?" It was so out of the blue that Marianne couldn't help but blink several times, turning to look at him with a confused expression. She was slightly taken aback by the sudden question but not upset. If anything she was intrigued.

"Yeah you know- before you I didn't have any friends growing up, so I wrote this song about a lizard I used to have. I-uh, this is a little embarrassing but I usually only sing it when I'm by myself, but... It always made me feel better." He flashed her a tender, genuine smile, holding out his hand; extending it slowly in front of her. "So, what do you say? Ready to be the first and last attendee of Sylvain's comeback concert?"

She couldn't help but lightly giggle at his sincerity and nodded, taking his hand to be led to one of the seats nearby. After setting her down, Sylvain retreated to the console, propping himself up against it. He cleared his throat a couple times, suddenly feeling uncharacteristically nervous. _'C'mon man, you better not choke now after all that hype. Cool your jets...take a deep breath...one...two..three'_

He closed his eyes and inhaled, opening them right before he brought his hand down, the chords he struck starting slow, picking up the pace as he went on.

♫~ _Do you... ever hug your scales?_ ~♫

"Huh?" She tilted her head.

♫~ _Shake your tail, and make a light show?_ ~♫

"What kind of lizard was this?"

♫~ _A dance of colo~ors and hues_ ~♫ He began swinging his hips as he played, grinning widely while shaking his butt in front of her, causing her to blush.

She laughed. "What are you doing?"

♫~ _Well, I do~o! Here, right before your eyes_ ~♫ He twirled around the console, really getting into his song now, ♫~ _A bright kaleidoscope-_ ~♫ without missing a beat he slammed his hand down on a button on the console, activating the strobe lights hanging from the tent ceiling. Colors burst and sparkled around, lighting up Marianne's eyes with glee, not noticing Sylvain had lept over the panel and landed smack dab in front of her, absolutely beaming.

"Surprise!!"

"Sylvain!" She squealed in delight, clapping her hands to her cheeks. He continued, sauntering backwards keeping all eyes on Marianne.

♫~ _No moment is the~e same, And that is wonderful~ul!~♫_ At this Marianne stood up and followed after, bobbing her shoulders slightly to the lovely beat, his energy was certainly infectious.

♫~ _Do you ever watch the sky? Lounge around and see it floating?"~♫_ She blushed a pastel pink, tucking a loose strand behind her ear, "I don't lounge-"

♫~ _A swirl of white clouds and blue~e?~♫_ She shook her head apologetically, "Nope..!" 

Sylvain stopped moving around for a brief moment before giving her a guilty grin. "Well...I do!" He shimmied to the center and resumed dancing and weaving between the glittering lights, Marianne shrugged before joining in, matching his steps in to a T.

♫~ _It changes everyday~_ _It spins and turns and twirls away ~It just keeps rollin’ on-~♫_ Suddenly Marianne stopped in her tracks as Sylvain continued forward without her, the lyrics hitting a nerve within her. She looked down with one hand brought up against her chest, clenching her shirt.

_♫~And that is wonderful -hey~♫_ "Hey..." He carried on singing before realizing Marianne wasn't next to him anymore, immediately pivoting on his feet to walk back to her. She sighed. "I just want things to go back to how they were..." _  
  
_

He took a second to ponder before a figurative light bulb went off above his head. Gently grabbing her hand, he led Marianne to the center of the ring, and ushered her inside the lift. Locking the small door before turning it on, lifting them up off the ground. She grasped the edge with a gasp as they got higher and higher, and as they did Sylvain continued,

_♫~Loo~ook at the world surrounding you~All possibility~Every moment we have, is a chance at something nee~eew!♫_

As he held the last note, he gestured to the open circus arena glittering in the darkness, resembling the beauty of the night sky, shining with stars. Marianne couldn't help but look in awe, not just at the sights, but at Sylvain. His face was full of unbridled joy, his passion clearly revolving around singing, not just for himself, but for others too. She furrowed her eyebrows, feeling suddenly incredibly selfish. She wasn't the only one that had suffered through hardships, and yet she acted as if they were. Here Sylvain was; a man who had his childhood stolen away from him too soon, not being able to continue his true passion, but carrying on regardless of everything. He had this circus, his family with him every step of the way, while she had the nerve to run away from hers, when they no doubt were hurting as well.

She convinced herself that she ran away for their sake but...she was just a coward.

_♫~To glow...~To grow...~♫_

She sunk down to the bottom of the lift, wiping the tears that wouldn't stop falling, everything rushing out all at once against her will. Alerted to her tears, Sylvain snapped his head toward her and kneeled down next to her, slowly putting down his ukulele. He cooed, gently brushing some tears away from her porcelain-pale skin with one hand while carefully cupping her head with the other.

Offering her a small, warm smile, he sang to her, his voice hushed yet strong.

 _♫~Do you ever feel afraid?_ _Curl up when you are hurting?..._ _And hold your memories tight to you...?~♫_ She looked up to him with tear filled eyes, seeing herself in his golden eyes. He nodded, "Yeah, me too..."

She buried her face into his shirt, sobbing as he embraced her securely, wrapping her with his toned arms. She was so close she could feel every vibration resonating within his chest; like the purr of a animal trying to comfort another. He laid his head upon hers, closing his eyes, taking in all of her sorrow.

  
  


_♫~If you release the past...~_  
_You’ll move ahead and bloom at last._  
_The heart, grows.... and it, knows...~♫_

_♫~You can glow...~♫_

She slowly lifted herself off of his chest, and he from her head, gazing at each other like it was love at first sight. Their cheeks blushed brightly with pink and red tones as they got closer and closer. Suddenly they weren't in the lift anymore, but in space, or perhaps underwater with how weightless they felt in each other's arms. Sylvain lifted his hand to caress her face, moving so slowly as if he was afraid he'd scare her off. Marianne leaned in close, breathless and and shaking, interlocking her fingers with that sunset hair she loved so much. 

_♫~You’re -~♫_ He gasped, shuddering at her touch, a tingling sensation racing up and down his spine. It felt like icicles exploding, and yet, also fireworks; his heart bursting with every color combination of a kaleidoscope. Suddenly he found himself unable to move, completely at the mercy of Marianne von Edmund, something he didn't mind, not at all. 

As the glittering lights above them began to dim down, their eyes began to close, slowly like falling snow, as if to capture each others essence as long as possible. Love at first sight wasn't quite the right term for this, no. This was more like it had been love all along. Marianne beamed, her confidence soaring to new, previously thought unreachable heights, taking a shaky breath before fluttering her eyes shut. 

_"Wonderful."_

Her lips danced across the ballroom that were his; and it was like every cliche in the book. The stars aligned in the sky, birds sang, and their hearts melded together as one; everything falling perfectly into place. 

The circus really was full of surprises.  
  
  


* * *


End file.
